This month, Hoosier Cancer Research Network features our member institution The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute and medical oncologist Dwight Owen, MD, MS. Dr. Owen is a member of the Translational Therapeutics Program at the OSUCCC – James.

Research Interests and Expertise:

Dr. Owen’s research focus is on novel therapeutic interventions for patients with thoracic malignancies. During his career, he has developed clinical trials that evaluate immunotherapy treatments for patients with lung cancer, with the goal of improving outcomes. Dr. Owen is also researching the unique toxicities that occur to patients treated with immunotherapy to determine whether researchers can predict and prevent these toxicities from occurring. Additionally, he and his colleagues are working on the development of stronger tools to help predict what treatment is most likely to be effective for a specific patient’s tumor, while minimizing toxicities. His research has been published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, JAMA Oncology, and Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, among others. Dr. Owen is a member of HCRN’s Thoracic Clinical Trial Working Group and says he is excited to collaborate with other researchers who are part of network.

Educational Background:

• Medical School: University College of Dublin School of Medicine
• Conferral of MD Degree: University of the State of New York
• Residency and Internship (Internal Medicine): SUNY Downstate Medical Center
• Chief Resident (Internal Medicine): Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
• Chief Fellow/Fellowship (Hematology/Oncology): The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

Three facts about Dr. Owen:

• He and his wife delayed their wedding due to the COVID-19 pandemic but were finally able to get married in a very small ceremony last fall.
• He is a transplant from New York, who moved to the Midwest from Brooklyn.
• His non-pandemic hobbies include skiing and scuba diving.

About Hoosier Cancer Research Network:

Hoosier Cancer Research Network (formerly known as Hoosier Oncology Group) conducts innovative cancer research in collaboration with academic and community physicians and scientists across the United States. The organization provides comprehensive clinical trial management and support, from conception through publication. Created in 1984 as a program of the Walther Cancer Institute, Hoosier Cancer Research Network became an independent nonprofit clinical research organization in 2007. Since its founding, Hoosier Cancer Research Network has conducted more than 230 trials in a variety of cancer types and supportive care, resulting in more than 350 publications. More than 9,000 subjects have participated in Hoosier Cancer Research Network clinical trials.